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This past weekend I was in an ATV ride, raising money for the Holmes Foundation. I got to be outside, do something fun, be with friends and support skilled trades training - some of my favourite things all in one. It was awesome.

It also reminded me of how terrain can maintain and manage the environment. On the ATV ride we had a trail. The way the rainwater flowed made some parts dry and others a mess. Depending on how the trees and plant life grew, we got shade in some spots and sunlight in others. This got me thinking about the terrain around our homes.

I'm not a landscaper but I care about landscaping. Why? Because landscaping affects a home.

Most people think landscaping is a way to feature the house - increase its curb appeal. But more than just eye candy, landscaping around a house serves a purpose. It has a function. And it's up to you to decide what that function is.

Do you want it to keep the kids safe? Keep them in view? Direct traffic? Protect pets? Protect the exterior of your house from bad weather? Protect your home from sun and heat? Manage the rainwater around your house? Increase privacy? What do you want it to do for you?

Good landscaping works with your home. Not against it. It's a no-brainer. What you do on the exterior of a house will affect its interior. You have to be smart.

For example, planting a garden against your home's walls might seem nice. But the soil around foundation walls has been disturbed. It's not as firmly packed as undisturbed soil. It has more airspace. So when you water the plants, where do you think the water is going? Straight to the foundation. Not good. If you want to avoid a leaky basement, keep gardens and plants away from your home's walls.

Let's say you want to build a raised bed for a garden next to a fence. Great. What's the first thing you need to think about? What type of wood you'll need to enclose it? Type of soil? Type of plants? The most important thing you'll need to address - before anything - is how is this going to affect the grading around your house. How will this affect your neighbours?

I've heard so many stories where one neighbour will be doing some landscaping on their property, and the next thing you know, there's water pooling next-door. Why? Because landscaping changed the grade. And that affected the drainage.

Knowing exactly how landscaping is going to affect your house can be difficult. That's why it's smart to bring in someone who knows. Someone who can tell you what needs to be done to keep your home safe and healthy. And what landscaping options you have that increase your home's functionality.

Are there ways you can take advantage of sunlight during the winter? Heat during the summer? Block tough winds that can damage your home's exterior? Plants and shrubs that can help with drainage? Prevent leaks?

A good landscaper will know all the right questions to ask before a shovel even hits the ground. Like locating all the utility lines on your property. The last thing you want is to cut your cable - or worse.

They'll also tell you the best way to maintain everything. Remember, watering the lawn is one of the biggest water wasters. The average suburban garden in Canada needs about 100,000 litres of water during the growing season. That's a lot of water. But when you consider that the water being used for most gardens has been treated for consumption, that's a huge waste.

The grass is always greener when we're green. If you're smart, you'll collect the rainwater and use it for watering your garden and lawn. A professional landscaper will help you do this. They'll develop a system and work the landscaping around it.

How do you find the right landscaper? The same way you find the right contractor. You ask a lot of questions, get a lot of references, and speak to a lot of past clients. You do your homework and check out their work.

And notice what kinds of questions they ask you. Do they care more about your budget? Or are they asking if you have kids? If you plan on having kids soon? How long you're going to be living in the house? Any problems you need the proper landscaping to solve? This will tell you if they're interested in doing a good job or getting the next job.

I don't expect homeowners to know everything about homes and landscaping. But I do expect pros to know. And if you're going to spend the time and money, do it right the first time. Spend your money once and you'll be doing you and your house a huge favour.

Work for us - and we save money in the process. Everyone wins when we care.

Catch Mike in his new series, Best of Holmes on Homes, airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit www.hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.

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